I went Vegan for Lent, so 40 days. I made sure we finished everything that comes from an animal before we started so we wouldn’t be tempted. When I say, we, I’m saying I made Nico do this with me! He did it more by default since I was the one grocery shopping, packing lunches and making dinner while he started grad school .. When we got back from our Jamaican vaca- all inclusive, so alcohol and food all the time non stop – We needed a cleanse which is how the 2 things came together (Lent & Cleanse) = Vegan Challenge

Anyways, his cousins got me this book for our housewarming party. ISA DOES IT – all Vegan recipes. At first, I didn’t’ know what Vegan was.. I thought vegetarian- only eat vegetables- no meat. okay can’t be that hard. But when I realized Vegan meant NO animal products whatsoever, I knew I had a challenge ahead of me. Being for Polsih decent, there really isn’t a meal that doesn’t include some type of meat.. Kielbasa, hello! or dairy- Sour cream on top of CHEESE Pierogie — yummmy, sour cream on top of everything for that matter! (My 1st Vegan Bible-Legit amazing!)

So Nico’s cousins (my inspirations for this challenge) have been vegan for 5, going on 6 years now. I will have them guest blog soon to offer up some advice and give insight into why they went Vegan and the benefits/challenges they face…

But in the meantime, let me go ahead and share this Tofu Scramble Recipe– I had my friend over last night and she requested I make her this b/c its that delish!! I usually make it at the end of the work week; when I have leftover veggies and need a way to wrap them all up into something easy and good. I usually pair it with potatoes pancakes, vegan garlic bread, in a sandwich, with a salad, on top of quinoa… anything you feel like really!

First stir the spice blend together in a small cup. Add water and mix. Set aside.

Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat. Saute the garlic in olive oil for about a minute. Break the tofu apart into bite sized pieces and saute for about 10 minutes, using a spatula to stir often. Get under the tofu when you are stirring, scrape the bottom and don’t let it stick to the pan, that is where the good, crispy stuff is. Use a thin metal spatula to get the job done, a wooden or plastic one won’t really cut it. The tofu should get browned on at least one side, but you don’t need to be too precise about it. The water should cook out of it and not collect too much at the bottom of the ban. If that is happening, turn the heat up and let the water evaporate.

Add the spice blend and mix to incorporate. Add the nutritional yeast and fresh black pepper. Cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm.

Notes

You can include these additions to your scramble by themselves or in combination with one another.

Broccoli – Cut about one cup into small florettes, thinly slice the stems. Add along with the tofu.

Onion – Finely chop one small onion. Add along with the garlic, and cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Proceed with recipe.

Red Peppers – Remove stem and seed, finely chop one red pepper. Add along with the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Proceed with recipe.

Mushrooms – Thinly slice about a cup of mushrooms. Add along with the tofu.

Olives – Chop about 1/3 a cup of sliced olives. Add towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast.

Spinach – Add about 1 cup of chopped spinach towards the end of cooking, after mixing in the nutritional yeast. Cook until completely wilted.

Carrots – Grate half of an average sized carrot into the scramble towards the end of cooking. This is a great way to add color to the scramble.

Avocado – I almost always have avocado with my scramble. Just peel and slice it and serve on top.